Truss pad



L. A. FmTsm-x TRUSS PAD Filed Feb. 26, 1940 Patented Apr. 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRUSS PAD Lewis A. Fritsch, Cincinnati, Ohio Application February 26, 1940, Serial No. 320,928

' 1 Claim.

This invention aims to provide a novel means for assembling a truss pad with a wire truss, in such a Way that the truss pad may be adjusted upwardly, downwardly, diagonally, to either the right or the left, and have, also, a complete circular movement. Another object of the invention is to supply novel means for holding the truss pad in positions to which it may have been adjusted. As is well known, a wire truss is of such transverse dimensions that it cannot be slotted or contructed otherwise to provide for the adjustments of which the device forming the subject matter of this application is capable, and another object of the invenion, therefore, is to provide novel means, housed for the most part within the truss pad, for securing the necessary adjustments.

A further object of the invention is to supply novel means whereby, in a wire truss, after the body encircling member has been adjusted properly to position, the necessary adjustments may be made in the position of the pad, with respect to the body encircling member and with respect to the rupture or ruptures.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of part-s and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 shows in perspective, a device constructed in accordance with the invention, assembled with a portion of a wire truss;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section wherein parts remain in elevation;

Fig. 3 is an elevation, showing the back plate and parts associated therewith;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a different adjustment from that delineated in Fig.3;

Fig. 5 is a composite perspective view, showing several of the elements which enter into the construction of the device.

The numeral l marks a truss pad, which may be constructed as desired. A specific form of pad is shown, and will be described with some detail,

but that does not forbid the use of a differently made pad. The pad selected for illustration comprises a resilient body 2, enclosed within a casing comprising a flexible cover 3, a marginal binder 4 secured to the cover, and an outer wall 5 secured to the binder, the wall 5 sometimes being made of leather.

A metal back plate 6 is secured within the pad i, in contact with the inner surface of the wall 5. The back plate 6 has a circular opening I, and there is an opening 8 of corresponding size in the wall 5. Notches or seats 9 are formed in the back plate 6 and communicate with the opening I in the back plate, the notches or seats being spaced apart at equal distances, circumferentially of the opening 1.

A metal anchor piece [0 is located in the pad I, in slidable contact with the inner surface of the back plate 6. The anchor piece Ill has threaded holes I I. The distance between the holes II is considerably less than the diameter of the opening 1 in the back plate 5, and is equal to the distance between any two of the seats 9 of the back plate.

A metal disk I2 is disposed against the outer surface of the wall 5 of the pad I and has an elongated slot I 4.

A second metal disk i5 is disposed against the outer surface of the first disk I2 and has smooth holes IS.

A metal retainer I! is disposed against the outer surface of the second disk l5 and has smooth holes l8. Between the holes l8, the retainer I! is provided within an offset l9, forming a socket for the reception of the resilient wire 20 that constitutes the main part of the body-engaging member 2| of the well known Hood wire truss.

Securing elements 22, preferably screws, pass through the holes l8 of the retainer ll, the holes iii of the second disk IS, the slot [4 of the first disk I2, through the opening 8 of the back wall 5 of the pad and through the corresponding opening 1 of the back plate 6, the screws being threaded into the holes I l of the anchor piece It].

When the screws 22 are slacked oif, the pad I may be adjusted lengthwise of the truss wire 20, but when the screws are set up, the pad will be held against slipping longitudinally of the truss wire 20, and the retainer ll, the second disk IS, the first disk 12, the wall 5 of the truss pad I, the back plate 6 and the anchor piece Ill will be bound tightly together, as shown in Fig. 2, the truss pad then being held securely in the position to which it may have been adjusted.

As to the adjustments whereof the pad I is capable, when the screws 22 are backed out a little, it will be observed that since the distance between the screws 22 is considerably less than the diameter of the opening 1 in the back plate 6, the pad I may be adjusted up and down, as indicated by the arrows A, laterally in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows B, and circumferentially in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows C.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 4, one of the screws 22 may be engaged in one of the seats 9 of the back plate 6, and with that screw as a center, the pad I may be adjusted in opposite directions on an are represented by the arrows D, It is possible, moreover, to lodge both of the screws 22 in two adjoining seats 9 of the back plate 6, thus obtaining a step by step adjustment of the pad in an orbit represented by the edge of the opening I in the back plate 6; and

at each step there is a positive interlock, since each screw 22 is engaged in one of the seats 9.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is of a peculiar utility when used in connection with a wire truss and it provides a plurality of adjustments, the utility of which will be appreciated readily by a person skilled in the art of truss fitting, or having experience in the business of truss manufacture.

Although a single truss pad has been shown, for economy in illustration, it will be understood that the structure forming the subject of this application is capable of use where there is a double rupture, as well where there is a single rupture.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

In a device of the class described, a truss pad, a back plate assembled with the pad and having an opening, a shiftable anchor piece disposed internally of the back plate and larger than the opening, a retainer disposed externally of the pad and the back plate and having means for engaging the body-encircling member of a truss, and tightening devices connecting the retainer with the anchor piece and passing through the opening of the back plate, the tightening devices being spaced apart by a distance less than the diameter of the opening, to permit the pad to be adjusted circumferentially in opposite directions, up and down, and laterally in opposite directions, the back plate being provided with seats communicating with the opening, the seats being spaced apart by distances equal to the distance between the tightening devices, either tightening device being receivable in one seat to constitute a pivot on which the pad may be swung for adjustment, the other tightening device being receivable in another of the seats, and the pad being bodily adjustable, circumferentially, to engage the tightening devices in any two of the seats.

LEWIS A. FRITSCH. 

